Essay on mirror by sylvia plath. Mirror by sylvia plath 2022-12-27
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In "Mirror," Sylvia Plath employs vivid imagery and sharp diction to explore the complexities of self-perception and the role that society plays in shaping our understanding of ourselves. The poem is written from the perspective of a mirror, which reflects the image of the speaker and the various figures that pass in front of it.
The poem begins with the mirror presenting itself as a "lake" in which the speaker's reflection is "searching" for itself. The mirror's description of itself as a lake suggests a sense of depth and complexity, as lakes are often associated with mystery and the unknown. This creates a sense of tension and uncertainty as the speaker looks for their reflection in the mirror.
As the poem progresses, the mirror becomes increasingly personified, taking on a voice and agency of its own. It describes the various figures that pass in front of it, including a young girl and a woman, both of whom are described as "terrible" and "cruel." These descriptions suggest that the mirror is reflecting back the internalized judgments and critiques that these figures have internalized about themselves.
The mirror also reflects back the speaker's own self-perception, describing the speaker as a "countenance" that "flickers" and "fades." This language suggests that the speaker's self-perception is unstable and fleeting, influenced by external factors such as societal expectations and the judgment of others.
Ultimately, "Mirror" is a powerful meditation on the complexity of self-perception and the role that society plays in shaping our understanding of ourselves. Through vivid imagery and sharp diction, Plath explores the tension between the external forces that shape our self-perception and the internal, subjective experience of being alive.
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The differences between a lake and a mirror are important here. The mirror has watched her grow up, going from a young girl to an old woman. Sylvia Plath proves her point in the first stanza by describing how she feels about herself through the mirror. His world is a place where Jews can live and practice Judaism. He being is what defines her existence and that is what matters to her the most.
She may have gone through a tragedy like the loss of love that caused her to be so doubtful and empty. The poem is written in first person from the point of view of a mirror and personification is used continuously and effectively throughout the text. So the poem is illustrating how human beings are imperfect and biased because of their sentimentalism. . The women existence was viewed as a beautiful object. The same way moonlight does to hide age-spots and wrinkles. Along with frequent therapy visits, she wrote poetry to reflect the many events in her life.
Plath employs a shift to accentuate a change in time. She finds it impossible to stop looking at herself in the mirror and she keeps coming back to it. I have no preconceptions. And yet, despite the fact that her reflection is upsetting her, she continues to check it. It is being compared to a terrible fish because even though it is horrid, it is still approaching and is the truth. The mirror holds the young girl beneath the surface while the old woman replaces her like a terrible fish.
How can it be, that a woman struck by dire occurrences, leave such an incredible mark in the guest book of all great authors and poets? This poem allows us to think about how we should embrace our true selves in life, and not try and make something untrue, when we can see it with our very own eyes. She is unable to resist knowing that death is creeping ever closer every day. It is mostly self explanatory, but some lines I had to really think about. Women were expected to be the dutiful wife, loving mother and housekeeper for her family. Map Your Success Out! The woman is introduced in the second stanza. The girl ridicules her image, every day of her life, by looking into the mirror and watching closely her imperfections taking over.
Just those five words make the reader think that the reflection could potentially possess emotions, and a irony. The mirror is the narrator. It is at this point that the poet achieves a moment of insight. The unusual narrator in this composition gives the reader an entirely diverse viewpoint about vanity: what actually seems like from a great unbiased source. We are drawn into the poem by the opening lines 'I caught a tremendous fish' The poets respect for the fish is immediately conveyed, he is 'battered and venerable and homely'. The mirror therefore becomes an avenue through which one can see raw truth indiscriminately.
However, with longing for fame struck the bittersweet reality of holding the title for the most unfortunate life. I believe that the mirror, the lake, and the woman are all one. I think that the poet is standing in the mirror in search for something looking at the wall occasionally being interrupted by darkness and shadows. After all, it is a mirror and that is what mirrors do. Fleeting light describes how the mirror sees candles and moons providing temporary shine or illumination to women. As a whole, this poem sets forth the idea that female gender is fluid, and asks its readers to questions what it means to be a woman in a male dominant Feminism In Sylvia Plath's Poetry 922 Words 4 Pages The way that Sylvia Plath presented the image of women in her poems drawattention of many to the problem of patriarchy and overshadowing the importance of the female role in the society. Now, Plath introduced the notion of a little God.
As a young boy who is thirteen at the beginning of the story, I am very impressed with his maturity. There is this latent negativity being expressed by the persona who see herself in the mirror as she ages — comparing herself to a terrible fish, a symbol of deterioration, decay, loss of physical beauty. Sylvia Plath wrote this poem at a time of feminist movement. Analysis Mirror by Sylvia Plath is a poem about the terrible difficulty of the truth, especially the inexorable process of age and time. She thinks she is truthful and everyone else is a liar.
If she chooses to become independent and pave her own identity, then she will no longer be perceived as beautiful but with a critical gaze of society as a terrible fish. Plath was a devoted Literary Analysis Of Mirror By Sylvia Plath Mirrors reflect the truth we see within ourselves. Imagery, rhetoric, and stylistic structure convey this them throughout the entire poem. Firstly, with the usage of personification, Plath really uses personification to her advantage, as this entire story is based on personification. And this could hurt somones self esteem, and could damage the way someone looks upon ones self.
As you read through the poem, the lake is relevant because of the famous mythological story of narcissus. The comparison is about how people look, and how society could reflect how you may feel about your looks. What I mean is that she talks for the mirror, I believe the mirror and lake are her. Even though a lake has more depth than a mirror it only reflects the physical appearance of the woman. This line is used to achieve the picture of a God-like predisposition of the mirror to reveal everything about anyone who stands in front of it. Plath challenged the conventional expectations for women through her genius poetic Feminism In Louise Halfe's Body Politics 459 Words 2 Pages This becomes evident in a lack of information about the type of society, and the reader therefore lacks a complete understanding of how the women are oppressed.
Characterized by a conflict between stasis and movement, isolation and engagement, these poems are largely about what stands in the way of the possibility of rebirth for the self. Friedan exposed that things were not always, as they seemed for the average mother and homemaker in the 1950s and 1960s. The lake calls the candles and moon liars as they do not give enough light to give a true reflection. Whatever I see I swallow immediately just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. The idea that this poem reflects is that people believe that mirrors lie and are only showing them what the people want to see. As recently explored, Plath has used various powerful graceful techniques to have a big impact on you. Sylvia Plath conveys her interpretation of a mirror primarily through personification and metaphorical parallels.
